Apparatus for attaching a wide range of article supporting fixtures to a variety of support surfaces

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for attaching a variety of article supporting fixtures to a variety of support surfaces, having an anterior appendage and two posterior appendages, all three of which being connected by a joining area or joining member, said anterior appendage being of a width at least as great as about the diameter of one of a plurality of wire shelf body wires, and preferably as wide as the space occupied by at least two body wires, said two posterior appendages each being of such a width as to enable them to fit into the space between two adjacent body wires, and likewise being spaced apart from each other on centerlines the distance between which is some multiple of the distance between the body wire center to center distance, said bracket may be positioned at any point and still fit between the body wires of the wire shelf, said posterior appendages being preferably spaced outboard of the anterior appendage, but alternatively arranged otherwise, in a preferred embodiment said posterior appendages each having at least a hole therethrough to facilitate attachment to a support surface, and said anterior appendage having affixed thereto an attachment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to the field of support brackets, andmore particularly to an apparatus for attaching a wide range of itemsincluding article supporting fixtures to a variety of support surfaces.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An apparatus for attaching a wide range of items including articlesupporting fixtures to a variety of support surfaces such as a wireshelf, pegboard, conventional wall, grid wall, slatwall, etc, has ananterior appendage and at least two posterior appendages, all three ofwhich are connected by a joining area or joining member. The anteriorappendage is of a width at least as great as about the diameter of oneof a plurality of wire shelf body wires which make up the surface of theshelf, and preferably as wide as the space occupied by at least two bodywires. The at least two posterior appendages are each of such a width asto enable them to fit into the space between two adjacent body wires,and are likewise spaced apart from each other on centerlines thedistance between which is some multiple of the distance between the bodywire center to center distance. In this manner, the bracket may bepositioned at any point and still fit between the body wires of the wireshelf. The posterior appendages are preferably spaced outboard of theanterior appendage, but may be otherwise arranged, and indeed may bespaced apart a considerable distance. Said posterior appendages eachhave at least an orifice therethrough to facilitate attachment to asupport surface, and said anterior appendage has affixed thereto anattachment. Alternatively, said anterior appendage makes use of akeyhole slot for securing an attachment thereto. Again, an alternativeuse reverses the apparatus to further enhance versatility as will bedescribed.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a better bracket thatcan be attached to a wider variety of surfaces.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device that mountsattachments to wire shelving, as well as other surfaces.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus that canaccommodate a wider variety of attachments.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a device can hold alarger variety of articles.

A further object of the invention is to provide a support bracket, whichcan equally well support a hook, strap, basket, or shelf, etc.

Yet still another object of the invention is to provide an attachmentsupport bracket, which can be inverted and used as a wire shelf support.

Another object of the invention is to provide an attachment supportbracket, which can be inverted and used as a pegboard support.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device that is easilyattached.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus which isnot easily dislodged, but can be made easily removable.

Another object is to provide an apparatus, which may be attachedsecurely.

Still another object is to provide an apparatus, which has shockabsorbing capabilities.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a device that iseasily manufactured.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from the following descriptions, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, wherein, by way of illustration and example, anembodiment of the present invention is disclosed.

DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART

Many ways have been devised to hang up articles, whether it be fromwalls, pegs, or racks, and whether the articles are loose items,articles of clothing, round, regular, or irregular in shape. Ofparticular interest are the domestic closet, the garage, basement orpantry wall, and the store display. In each of these areas it isdesirable to make maximum use of the allotted space, while maximizingvisibility, exposure, and access for each individual item or class ofitem. It is also desirable to maximize flexibility in the layout, sothat the area may be easily rearranged.

Past attempts to satisfy this need have involved various solutions suchas shelving, baskets, movable shelf supports, pegboard and the like, andeach has in turn improved the art. The use of baskets of various typesadded flexibility to the basic shelf. Movable brackets allowed differingsizes of articles to be placed within the same storage system. Wireshelving provided a number of benefits including ease of cleaning, lightweight, and the ability to support a substantial load. Pegboardintroduced a new level in versatility and layout. Slotted panelscombined some of the versatility of pegboard with an enhanced marketingappearance, and so on.

Throughout this time there have always been challenges which seemed todefy all efforts to produce the ideal solution. Such challenges areoften daunting as much from their apparent simplicity, as from theirtechnical requirements, and often a solution has taken more the form ofrecognizing a problem existed to be solved, than actually creating asolution. A good example of such might be a broom holder, which willwork with all sizes of broom handles and can be operated with only onehand.

Wire shelving has achieved the status of a commodity item in newresidential construction and remodeling, as well as in many commercialapplications. Typically employed as closet shelving and for utilityareas, it has numerous advantages including high strength, light weight,is relatively self-cleaning, easily adaptable, etc. Such shelving iscommonly available from home goods suppliers such as Home Quarters,Lowes, and most hardware stores. With increasing popularity a number ofaccessory items have become available as well, such as corner pieces,and various hanging attachments. In the typical wire shelf, a number ofsupport rods run the length of the shelf and are overlaid by a pluralityof relatively smaller diameter body wires which form the shelf surface.Often the shelf has an additional support rod placed directly below theforwardmost support rod, and the body wires form a 90° bend around thetop support rod, in this way forming a front surface for the shelf andstiffening the shelf as well. In the typical installation of wireshelving and accessories, small plastic hooks or brackets are attachedto a wall, usually with screws or nails, along a line where the shelf isto be mounted. Then the shelf or accessory is placed in the hooks, andsnapped into place. This results in a small unobjectionable gap betweenthe rear support wire and the wall, usually on the order of ⅛ to{fraction (3/16)} inch or so. The inventor's device can take advantageof this gap, as will be shown.

A number of so called “clip-on” accessories have been designed to attachto the front support rod, but it was the intent of the inventor that thedevice have greater adaptability than was seen with these devices, andprovision was also made for the use of the bracket with pegboard.Support structures other than pegboard and wire shelving also exist, andso the inventor made provision for universal attachment to a widevariety of surfaces using common attachment methods such as adhesive,screws, expanding anchors, nails, two sided tape, and the like.

A need likewise existed for a versatile and strong bracket for attachingwire shelving and pegboard to support structures, and the inventor'sdevice fills that need admirably. Also there was a need for a strong anddurable bracket with a degree of flexibility to provide a shockabsorbing function which was adaptable to a multiplicity of uses, andthe instant device provides a ready answer.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings constitute a part of this specification and includeexemplary embodiments to the invention, which may be embodied in variousforms. It is to be understood that in some instances various aspects ofthe invention may be shown exaggerated or enlarged to facilitate anunderstanding of the invention. Phantom lines are used where applicableto denote the existence of related structure not cored a part of theinvention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the invention showing the operativefeatures thereof.

FIG. 2 is an inverted perspective view of the invention showing theoperative feature thereof.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the invention showing an alternateembodiment thereof.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the invention showing an alternateembodiment thereof.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the invention showing an alternateembodiment thereof.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the invention showing an alternateembodiment thereof.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the invention showing an alternateembodiment thereof.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the invention showing an alternateembodiment thereof.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the invention showing an alternateembodiment thereof.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the invention showing an alternateembodiment thereof.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the invention showing an alternateembodiment thereof.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the invention showing an alternateembodiment thereof.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the invention showing an alternateembodiment thereof.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the invention showing an alternateembodiment thereof.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the invention showing an alternateembodiment thereof.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the invention showing an alternateembodiment thereof.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the invention showing an alternateembodiment thereof.

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of the invention showing an alternateembodiment thereof.

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of the invention showing an alternateembodiment thereof.

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of the invention showing an alternateembodiment thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Detailed descriptions of the preferred embodiment are provided herein.It is to be understood, however, that the present invention may beembodied in various forms. Therefore, specific details disclosed hereinare not to be interpreted as limiting, but rather as a basis for theclaims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the artto employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailedsystem, structure or manner.

FIGS. 1 and 2 depict a preferred embodiment of the invention in 180°orientations relative to each other. In FIG. 1, which shows the normalorientation, the invention is placed in position over the forwardmosttop support rod 40 of a wire shelf 42 which is shown in phantom lines. Aplurality of body wires 44 make up the body of the shelf 42.

A bracket 50 in FIG. 1, has an anterior appendage 52 and at least twoposterior appendages 54 a and 54 b, all three of which are connected bya joining area or joining member 56. The anterior appendage 52 is of awidth at least as great as about the diameter of one of the body wires44, and preferably as wide as the space occupied by at least two bodywires 44. The two posterior appendages 54 a, b are each of such a widthas to enable them to fit into the space between two adjacent body wires44, and are likewise spaced apart from each other on centerlines thedistance between which is some multiple of the distance between the bodywire 44 center to center distance. In this manner, the bracket 50 may bepositioned at any point and still fit between the body wires 44. Theposterior appendages 54 a, b are preferably spaced outboard of theanterior appendage 52, but may be otherwise arranged as will bedescribed later.

In use the bracket 50 is positioned astride the top front support rod 40with the posterior appendages projecting into the spaces between thebody wires 44 behind the support rod 40, and the bracket 50 is thenpressed down until the joining member 56 contacts the body wires 44 ofthe wire shelf. The anterior appendage rests against one or more of thebody wires and/or the lower front support rod. Located thusly the bottomof the anterior and top of the posterior appendages resist downwardtipping of the bracket and attachment, serving to urge the center partof the shelf upwards in the process, thereby assisting in supportingloads on the shelf as well. The anterior appendage 52 has therethroughone or more keyhole slots 58 so that various attachments may be securedthereto. These attachments may take a wide variety of shapes and formsmany of which are common in the prior art and in industry and includebut are not limited to the following: a hat peg as shown in FIG. 3,shaker peg as shown in FIG. 4, coat hook as shown in FIG. 5, implementor hammer hook as shown in FIG. 6, shovel hook or broom hook as shown inFIGS. 7 and 8 and 14, garment hook as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, generalpurpose hook as shown in FIG. 11, screwdriver loops as shown in FIGS. 12and 17, bicycle (large) hook as shown in FIG. 13, water hose hook,vacuum cleaner hose hook, vacuum cleaner hose accessory basket as shownin FIG. 20, belt rack, tie rack, shoe rack, janitorial supply rack,Christmas wrapping paper roll hooks, hanging basket as shown in FIG. 18,plastic grocery bag hooks as shown in FIG. 19, strap hook as shown inFIG. 15, basketball loop as shown in FIG. 16, merchandise hooks,pegboard hooks, and so on. These attachments may likewise be constructedas an inseparable part of the bracket 50 as shown in a number of thealternate embodiments, such as FIGS. 6, 10, 12, 13, 15, and 16, andother attachment methods such as rivets may be employed as well as shownin FIG. 7. Additionally the keyhole slots 58 can be used as attachmentslots for supporting the bracket 50 as later described herein. Theposterior appendages have therein one or more apertures or holes 60which may be used for attaching the bracket 50 to a wide variety ofsurfaces such as any conventional wall or to pegboard.

Although unique in respect to wire shelving, the bracket is just assuitable to other mounting surfaces and uses, and may be used to supportother items such as wire shelves, pegboard, and the like. It is suitablefor use on plaster walls, with the appropriate and conventionalfasteners commonly available such as screws, expanding anchors ofvarious types, nails, adhesives, double sided adhesive tape, etc., andindeed may be used on practically any type of surface. For example, itis readily used as a high strength support for the aforementioned wireshelving and related items, utilizing the aforementioned gap between theshelving and the wall. In this case the bracket is inverted as shown inFIG. 2 and the screws and expanding anchors shown in phantom lines arenot used. Rotating the bracket 180° about the vertical axis from theorientation as shown, the anterior member is positioned between thesupport rod and the wall. After positioning the bracket upwards afastener can be used in one or more keyhole slot 58 to attach thebracket securely to the wall, or the fasteners may be positioned atintervals along a line, the brackets positioned thereon, and the shelfslid into the brackets. Should even greater holding power be desired,fasteners may be attached at this point through one or more of theapertures or holes 60 in the posterior appendages, and likewise securedto the wall. The brackets may be used for wooden shelving as well, byattaching the posterior appendages to the edge of the shelf and thenusing the keyhole slots 58 to slip the brackets over previously locatedfasteners on a suitable support surface. The use of fasteners in theholes 60 when the posterior members of the bracket are attached directlyto a support surface is greatly facilitated by the offset of theposterior members from the anterior members, thereby allowing space toget a screwdriver or other tool into close enough proximity to tightenthe fastener.

In FIG. 2 the bracket is shown inverted, to illustrate its applicabilityto a use as a shelf support as opposed to or in conjunction with its useas an article support bracket. In this case two modes of use are readilyapparent. The keyhole slots may be used to engage one or more fastenerssuch as screws or nails anchored in a support structure such as a wallor display rack. A surface having projecting buttons at regularintervals used in conjunction with the bracket 50 could be used tocreate a display system having great versatility, as the brackets couldbe easily removed and repositioned, and would be mounted securely whenin place. The support rod 40 of a wire shelf or basket can then besupported by the bracket as previously described, or the bracket couldbe used to support small merchandise racks. In this application the twoposterior appendages would serve to double the density of the displaysince there are twice the number of projections to attach to.

Also, by rotating the bracket as shown in FIG. 1 180° around thevertical axis and using the mounting holes 60 to provide a means ofmounting the bracket, increased security can be achieved, should it bedesired, since the fasteners would have to be removed to remove thebracket. This might be particularly applicable for use with attachmentswhich can readily use a single point of attachment, and which aresubject to considerable forces at odd angles, such as for example, acoat hook as shown in FIG. 5. Also, the bracket can be inverted relativeto the attachment for increased hanging capacity. Here, the connectingmember is used to support hangers and the like. It can also beengineered to perform the additional function of a shock absorber byvarying the dimensions and material choices to achieve the desiredcharacteristics. In this case, the joining member is designed to bedeformable upon the application of stress, and will return to theinitial shape upon the release of that stress. This shock absorbing useis available in either orientation of the bracket.

Additionally, the bracket is adaptable to pegboard systems, both as anarticle hanger bracket, and as a means of hanging the pegboard itself.Spacing of the keyhole slots 58 and of the mounting holes 60 is easilymatched to the hole centers of the pegboard and attachment to thepegboard is easily accomplished with standard pan-head screws andtruncated plastic expanding anchors as shown in FIG. 4, which can bemade by cutting the ends off of standard expanding anchors, or bymodification of the production molds. In this way at least three goalsare accomplished. Attaching the brackets in the orientation shown inFIG. 2 to the backside of the pegboard using the holes 60 provides asimple, effective, and easy to use hanger bracket for the pegboarditself, utilizing the keyhole slots to make hanging of the assembledpegboard a matter of just slipping the keyholes over the protrudingheads of properly placed fasteners. Attaching the bracket 50 in the samemanner to the front side of the pegboard provides a support bracket forwire baskets and similar wire shelving and accessories. Attaching it inthe normal orientation as shown in FIG. 1 allows its use with any of theattachments previously enumerated, and pegboard hooks may be used in thekeyhole slots as well.

If turned around from the orientation shown in FIG. 2 the bracket 50 maybe supported from the pegboard by the keyhole slots, providing benefitssimilar to those of the surface having projecting buttons describedabove, and in fact this type of use is suitable to any surface where theuse of one bracket in multiple locations is foreseen. In this case thebracket is easily moved to alternate locations.

In FIG. 18 is shown an alternate embodiment in which the bracket isintegrated into the body of the attachment itself, which is in this casea basket. As can be seen, the bracket 50 g has been widened, yet theanterior member 52 g has been narrowed. As before, the posterior members54 g, hare positioned outboard of the anterior member 52 g and arelikewise outboard of the body of the basket itself as shown.

FIG. 19 shows an alternate embodiment in which a provision is made for apair of hooks that can be used to support the handles of a commonplastic grocery bag.

In the alternate embodiment shown in FIG. 20, again the construction isunitary. However, a wire construction is used, and the body of theattachment is organized such that it is possible for the posteriormembers 54 j, k to be located inboard of two or more anterior members 52j. It should be readily apparent that other arrangement of a similarnature would serve the same purpose. Clearly, all alternate embodimentscan not be shown, but the present examples should serve to convey theconcept of the variety that is readily foreseeable.

As one will appreciate from the figures, the first posterior appendage54 a has a central portion that is spaced a given distance from acentral portion of the second posterior appendage 54 b. It is also clearthat the preferred bracket 50 is calibrated for attachment to a wirestructure such as the wire shelf 42 that has a plurality of adjacentbody wires 44. The bracket 50 defines a U-shaped profile wherein thejoining member 56 forms a base of the U, the first and second posteriorappendages 54 a, b form a first leg of the U, and the anterior appendage52 forms a second leg of the U. Each of the body wires 44 is spaced agiven center-to-center distance from an adjacent body wire 44. In astandard wire shelf 42, this center-to-center distance may beapproximately one-half inch, but is most commonly approximately oneinch. In such embodiments, each of the first and second posteriorappendages 54 a, b should have a width less than the distance betweenadjacent body wires 44 of the wire shelf 42 such that each of the firstand second posterior appendages 54 a, b can be received between adjacentbody wires 44 of the wire shelf 42. Accordingly, where the adjacent bodywires 44 are spaced at one-inch center-to-center distances, a preferredbracket 50 will have first and second posterior appendages 54 a, b thatare less than one inch wide minus the diameter of one body wire 44,which diameter typically varies between approximately 0.1 inches and 0.3inches. Where the adjacent body wires 44 are spaced at one-half-inchcenter-to-center distances, a preferred bracket 50 wilt have first andsecond posterior appendages 54 a, b that are less than one-half inchwide minus the diameter of one body wire 44.

The inventor has further discovered that, for the bracket 50 to be mosteasily employed as indicated in FIG. 1, for example, the distancebetween the central portions of the first and second posteriorappendages 54 a, b should be a multiple of the center-to-center distancebetween adjacent body wires 44 so that the bracket 50 can be coupled toa wire shelf 42 (as FIG. 1 shows) with the first and second posteriorappendages 54 a, b each received between a pair of adjacent body wires44 of the wire shelf 42. Accordingly, where the adjacent body wires 44of the wire shelf 42 are spaced with a center-to-center distance ofapproximately one-half inch, the distance between the central portionsof the first and second posterior appendages 54 a, b should be anymultiple of one-half inch (i.e., 0.5 inches, 1 inch, 2.5 inches, 6inches, or the like). Similarly, where the adjacent body wires 44 of thewire shelf 42 are spaced with a center-to-center distance ofapproximately one inch, the distance between the central portions of thefirst and second posterior appendages 54 a, b should be any multiple ofone inch (i.e., 1 inch, 2 inches, 6 inches, 10 inches, or the like).

Where the bracket 50 is further or alternatively designed for attachmentto a pegboard structure as FIG. 4 shows, it is preferred that themounting holes or apertures 60 in the first and second posteriorappendages 54 a, b be calibrated to align with the apertures in standardpegboard. Advantageously, the invention exploits the fact that pegboardprovides an array of evenly spaced apertures disposed in aligned columnsand rows. In standard pegboard, adjacent rows and columns are spacedwith the centers of their respective apertures approximately one inchapart. Accordingly, in the preferred bracket 50, the mounting hole 60 inthe first posterior appendage 54 a is spaced any multiple of one inch(i.e., 1 inch, 3 inches, 7 inches, 12 inches, or the like) away from themounting hole 60 in the second posterior appendage 54 b.

With this, the mounting holes 60 readily align with apertures instandard pegboard to allow ready mounting of the bracket 50 to thepegboard for a wide variety of purposes including acting as a means formounting an item such as a wire shelf 42 to the pegboard or acting as ameans for supporting an article on the pegboard as by the addition of asupport structure to the bracket 50 such as any of those shown herein.As was described above, the means for supporting an article by thebracket 50 may comprise a variety of projections coupled to the anteriorappendage 52 or to either or both of the first and second posteriorappendages 54 a, b. Again, although the bracket 50 could be attached toa support surface by screws, anchors, or the like, other means forattaching the apparatus to a support surface could be readily employedsuch as adhesive or double-sided tape for being interposed between theapparatus and the support surface.

From the foregoing, it will be clear that the inventor has created animproved bracket 50 that is usable in a number of orientations with avariety of support surfaces to support a multiplicity of articles. Thebracket 50 is easily mountable and in certain dispositions can providesecurity of mounting not achievable in other mounting devices.Advantageously, the bracket 50 provides these advantages while employingcommon and readily available mounting fasteners and methods. Inpreferred embodiments, at least a portion of the bracket 50 is formedfrom a resiliently deformable material that provides shock absorbingtendencies to reduce damage to the bracket 50 itself and the items andsupport surfaces with which it is associated. Furthermore, the bracket50 can provide permanent or temporary attachment to support surfaces, tomeans for supporting an article, and to various items. Undoubtedly,those who review this disclosure and those who have an opportunity totake advantage of an embodiment of the present invention will be readilyaware of still further advantages deriving from the unique bracket 50.

It will be clear that the present invention has been shown and describedwith reference to certain preferred embodiments that merely exemplifythe broader invention revealed herein. Certainly, those skilled in theart can conceive of alternative embodiments. For instance, those withthe major features of the invention in mind could craft embodiments thatincorporate those major features while not incorporating all of thefeatures included in the preferred embodiments.

With the foregoing in mind, the following claims are intended to definethe scope of protection to be afforded the inventor, and the claimsshall be deemed to include equivalent constructions insofar as they donot depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Aplurality of the following claims express certain elements as a meansfor performing a specific function, at times without the recital ofstructure or material. As the law demands, these claims shall beconstrued to cover not only the corresponding structure and materialexpressly described in the specification but also equivalents thereof.

I claim as deserving the protection of United States Letters Patent: 1.A bracket for attaching a wide range of items to a variety of supportsurfaces, the bracket comprising: a bracket body comprising a joiningmember, an anterior appendage coupled to the joining member, a firstposterior appendage coupled to the joining member, and a secondposterior appendage coupled to the joining member wherein the firstposterior appendage has a central portion spaced a given distance from acentral portion of the second posterior appendage; wherein the joiningmember, the anterior appendage, and the first and second posteriorappendages together define a U-shaped profile wherein the joining memberforms a curved base of the U, the first and second posterior appendagescomprise separate, elongate, and flat finger-shaped members and form afirst leg of the U, and the anterior appendage is flat and forms asecond leg of the U whereby the bracket body can straddle an elongatemember of an external structure with the joining member disposed againstthe elongate member of the external structure and the anterior appendageand the first and second posterior appendages disposed on opposite sidesof the elongate member of the external structure; wherein each of thefirst and second posterior appendages has at least one aperture throughthe central portion thereof for facilitating attachment relative to thebracket body; wherein the anterior appendage has an aperturetherethrough for facilitating attachment relative to the bracket body;and wherein the first and second posterior appendages and the aperturesthereof are disposed outboard of the anterior appendage and the aperturethereof.
 2. The bracket of claim 1 wherein the apparatus is calibratedfor attachment to a wire structure that has a plurality of adjacent bodywires with each of the wires spaced a given center-to-center distancefrom an adjacent body wire wherein each of the first and secondposterior appendages has a width less than the distance between adjacentbody wires of the wire structure whereby each of the first and secondposterior appendages can be received between adjacent body wires of thewire structure.
 3. The bracket of claim 2 wherein the distance betweenthe central portions of the first and second posterior appendages is amultiple of the center-to-center distance between adjacent body wireswhereby the apparatus can be coupled to a wire structure with the firstand second posterior appendages each received between a pair of adjacentbody wires of the wire structure.
 4. The bracket of claim 3 wherein thebracket is calibrated for attachment to a wire structure that has aplurality of adjacent body wires with each of the wires spaced acenter-to-center distance of approximately one inch from an adjacentbody wire wherein each of the first and second posterior appendages hasa width less than approximately one inch and wherein the distancebetween the central portions of the first and second posteriorappendages is an approximate multiple of one inch whereby the bracketcan be coupled to a wire structure with the first and second posteriorappendages each received between a pair of adjacent body wires of thewire structure.
 5. The bracket of claim 3 wherein the bracket iscalibrated for attachment to a wire structure that has a plurality ofadjacent body wires with each of the wires spaced a center-to-centerdistance of approximately one-half inch from an adjacent body wirewherein each of the first and second posterior appendages has a widthless than approximately one-half inch and wherein the distance betweenthe central portions of the first and second posterior appendages is anapproximate multiple of one-half inch whereby the bracket can be coupledto a wire structure with the first and second posterior appendages eachreceived between a pair of adjacent body wires of the wire structure. 6.The bracket of claim 1 wherein the bracket is calibrated for attachmentto pegboard that has a plurality of apertures spaced apart at acenter-to-center distance of approximately one inch wherein the distancebetween the central portions of the first and second appendages is anapproximate multiple of one inch whereby the bracket can be attached toa pegboard with the at least one aperture in each of the first andsecond posterior appendages aligned with an aperture in the pegboard. 7.The bracket of claim 1 wherein the aperture in the anterior appendage iskeyhole-shaped.
 8. The bracket of claim 1 further comprising a means forattaching the bracket to a support surface.
 9. The bracket of claim 8wherein the means for attaching the bracket to a support surfacecomprises adhesive for being interposed between the bracket body and thesupport surface.
 10. The bracket of claim 8 wherein the means forattaching the bracket to a support surface comprises double-sided tapefor being interposed between the bracket body and the support surface.11. The bracket of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the body of thebracket is formed from resiliently deformable material whereby thebracket can absorb shock.
 12. The bracket of claim 1 further comprisingan item coupled to the bracket body for being attached to a supportsurface.
 13. The bracket of claim 12 wherein the item is permanentlyfixed to the bracket body.
 14. The bracket of claim 12 wherein the itemis removably coupled to the bracket body.
 15. The bracket of claim 1further comprising a means for supporting an article by the bracket by afastening to at least one of the apertures in the anterior appendage orthe first and second posterior appendages.
 16. The bracket of claim 15wherein the means for supporting an article by the bracket comprises aprojection coupled to the anterior appendage.
 17. The bracket of claim15 wherein the means for supporting an article by the bracket comprisesa projection coupled to at least one of the first and second posteriorappendages.